Container



Oct. 24, 1939. L. FRIED 2,176,898

CONTAINER Filed Sept. 6, 1958 Patented Dot. 24, 1939 UNITED STATE CONTAINER Louis Fried, Brooklyn. N. 1., minor, by direct and mesne assignments, to United States Can Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation Application September 6. 1938, Serial No. 22$,661

2 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in containers.

The object of the present invention .is to provide a container such as a can or analogous re- 5 ceptacle designed for packing various food and beverage liquids such as ale, beer, ginger ale and other non-alcoholic beverages, milk, fruit juices and the like and provided with a cap adapted to be applied to the body of the container in the usual manner and by the ordinary methods and without necessitating any alteration in the'same or the structure of the container body and havin a tab closing a pouring opening and adapted to be depressed from a position substantially in the plane of the cap by the thumb or finger oi. either handto provide a pouring opening adjacent the periphery of the cap for decanting the contents of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a depressible tab or section of the closure cap adapted to be efiectively sealed with frangible sealing material to provide a liquid and air tight connection between the free or severed edges of the tab and the adjacent edges of the closure cap whereby the closure cap at the pouring opening will be hermetically sealed against the entrance of air or the leakage of the liquid contents of the container whereby the contents of the container will be preserved indefinitely against deterioration.

A further object 0! the invention is to eliminate the use of a can opener or other tool for opening a can or analogous receptacle and to provide a container adapted to be readily opened by pressure of the finger or thumb of either hand without liability of injuring the finger or thumb employed for opening the container. I

It is also an object of the invention to provide a container cap having a substantially radially 40 arranged outwardly tapered depressible tab conforming substantially to and being of slightly greater size thanthe ordinary finger or thumb and integrally connected at its inner end with the body portion of the cap whereby when the tab is subjected to the pressure of the finger or thumb the tendency of the finger or thumb will be to move inwardly over the smooth inner end or the tab and away from the sharp edges of the cap at the pouring opening, the shape of the tab at the same time providing an anti-splash pouring open- With these and other objects in view, the in-- vention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accom-' panying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form. proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any'ot the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the upper portion 0! a can provided with a closure cap constructed in accordance with this invention, the depressible tab being in its closed and sealed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the tab being depressed to provide a pouring opening.

' Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the can, the parts being arranged as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, the parts being arranged as shown in Fig. 2.

, Fig. 5 is, a reverse plan view of the closure cap showing the tab closed and sealed.

In the accompanying drawing in which is 11- lustrated the preferred form of the invention l designates a. can of the ordinary construction designed for containing beer, ale, non-alcoholic beverages, milk, fruit juices and the like and provided with a cap 2 which is crimped on the upper edges of the 'body poftion of the can in the usual manner and by the ordinary means. The closure cap 2 is provided adjacent itsperiphery with a substantially U-shaped cut or slit 3 having sides and a connecting outer portion and defining a de- -pressible tab 4 consisting of a partially severed section of the closure cap 2 and integrally connected at its inner end at l with the body portion of the cap to provide a smooth hinge connection to enable the tab to be depressed by a finger or thumb of a person without liability of the finger or thumb coming in contact with the sharp edges of the colsure cap'at the pouring opening 5 formed in the closure cap by depressing the tab within the can. While the tab may of course be varied in design, the tapering connection of the same enables the tab to conform substantially to the finger or thumb of a person and at the same time when depressed provide an outwardly tapered anti-splash pouring opening so that the liquid contents of the can may be accurately-decanted withoutliability of spilling or splashing the contents;

As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing, the tab when in its closed position is arranged substantially in the plane of the body portion of the cap but is slightly depressed preferably less than the thickness of the metal of the cap so I edges of the tab against the edges of the cap in the operation of opening the can.

The cap is hermetically sealed at the cut or incision 3 by sealing material 6 which may consist of a gutta percha or rubber composition or soft metallic solder or the like which provides a frangible and eflective seal for the slit or cut 3 of the closure cap. The sealing material which is preferably applied to the inner or lower face of the closure cap covers the slit or cut and fills the same and hermetically seals the cap at the slit or cut so that the liquid contents of the container will be preserved indefinitely against deterioration. When the contents of the can is to be sterilized by heating, a sealing material having a melting point higher than pasteurization heat will be employed but when sterilization is effected by the violet ray a sealing material having a lower melting point may of course be employed.

As the depressible tab is located within and in spaced relation to the periphery of the 010- sure cap it does not interfere with the use of the ordinary can capping mechanism and the position of the depressible tab when closed is such that it will not he accidentally forced inwardly by other cans when cans or similar receptacles are stacked for shipping, storing or display.

What is claimed is:

1. A cap for hermetically sealed containers constructed of sheet metal and provided within its periphery with a cut extending entirely through the sheet metal and defining a depressible tab, said tab being arranged substantially in the plane of the closure of the cap and having its upper surface arranged slightly below the upper surface 01' the closure cap, the edge of the tab being depressed out of frictional engagement with the edge of the cap cut to eliminate friction in depressing the tab to open the container and to shield the tab so that it will not be accidentally forced inwardly when containers are stacked one upon another, and a frangible sealing material filling said cut and hermetically sealing the tab at the edges to the cap.

2. A cap for hermetically sealed containers constructed of sheet metal and provided within its periphery with a cut extending entirely through the sheet metal and defining a depressible tab, said tab being arranged substantially in the plane of'the closure cap and slightly deflected and having its upper surface arranged slightly below the upper surface of the closure cap, the edge of the tab being depressed out of frictional engagement with the edge of the cap cut to eliminate friction in depressing the tab to open the container and to shield the tab so thatit will not be accidentally forced inwardly when containers are stacked one upon another, said tab being tapered outwardly and terminating adjacent the periphery of the cap and connected at its inner end integrally to the cap and depressible by pressure of a finger or thlllnb to open the container and when open providing an unobstructed anti-splash outlet to enable the contents of the container to be accurately decanted without spilling or splashing, and a frangible sealing material filling said out and hermetically sealing the tab at the edges to the cap.

. LOUIS FRIED. 

